The Final Day of Darkness
by Zenzy-Feury-1992
Summary: The Day of Darkness is a natural even that happens every 100 years. The sun is eclipsed for 24 full hours. When this day ends, the sun returns, but what would happen if it didn't? What would happen if the world remained in darkness forever?
1. Ch 1 The Frightening Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own "Okami" or any of its characters.

"The time is coming. There's nothing I can do to avoid it. The end of my life… and the world."

~*~

"Hey Ammy! What's with the long face? And why are we going to Kamui? It's cold up there!" the little Poncle, Issun, shouted in the white ear he stood beside.

Amaterasu, a sun god in the form of a wolf, shook her head in attempt to get the little bug away from her ear.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! I'm gunna fall!" Issun shouted again.

"That's the whole point," Amaterasu whispered so quiet that Issun didn't hear.

"So, why are we going to Kamui?" Issun asked is a softer, more controlled voice.

"There's just something I need to do," Amaterasu said.

Issun looked down to the white fur of the head he stood on. He was confused as this wasn't how Amaterasu normally behaved. She was usually excited and happy. Almost as eccentric as him… maybe.

Amaterasu walked slowly through the snow, her feet dragging. The knowledge she carried with her was a great weight that she almost couldn't bear. _What do I do?_

"Amaterasu? What are you going here?"

Amaterasu looked up and saw a young woman wearing heavy, warm clothes and a mask. Her name was Kai and she was one of the Oina Tribe that dwelled in Kamui. The Oina tribe are a very strange group as they are both half human and half wolf.

"Hello, Kai. I'm just looking for something," Amaterasu said.

"Anything I can help with?" Kai asked.

"No, it's okay," Amaterasu said.

"Ammy!"

Amaterasu looked up just in time to be ploughed to the ground by Lika, Kai's younger sister.

"Hi, Lika," Amaterasu said, getting as much cheer in her voice as her current state of mind would allow.

"Now, now, Lika. No need to climb all over Ammy," Kai said.

Lika jumped away before running off.

"Still as spirited as ever," Issun laughed.

"Yes, she's quite a handful. I'd better go find her," Kai said before running off.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong yet, Ammy?" Issun asked.

Amaterasu didn't respond as she continued walking. She made her way through the village.

"You," Samickle said as Amaterasu approached Kemu, the chief of Oina Tribe's, house.

"Well, hello to you too," Amaterasu said.

"What mischief are you up to this time?" Samickle asked.

"Mischief?! Wasn't it Ammy here who _saved _this village last time she was here?! If not for her, you'd still be dealing with those twin owl demons!" Issun shouted.

"Bah, if we'd just given Oki a little more time, I'm sure he would've handled it," Samickle objected.

"He was there! We had to help him! If not for Shiranui, he'd be dead!" Issun shouted again.

"Shiranui? If what I heard was right, Shiranui lived a hundred years ago," Samickle said.

"Well, that is… technically true," Issun mumbled.

"Let's go," Amaterasu said.

"Hey! Ammy! I wasn't finished talking to him!" Issun argued.

Amaterasu passed Samickle in front of Kemu's house. She walked through the gate beyond and made her way to a stone platform. She sat down and stared straight ahead. Her gaze was locked on a bridge of rainbows. She followed the bridge with her eyes until she reached the end.

"The Ark of Yamato? Why are we here?" Issun asked.

Amaterasu didn't answer. She just silently stared at the great ark, contemplating her options.

"Ugh, you're boring me. I'm leaving. I'll be at Ponc'tan when you decide to come to your senses," Issun grunted as he jumped from Amaterasu's head.

Amaterasu sighed with relief at Issun's absence. _Oki or Waka… the shrine or the ark. The time is drawing near. I just need a sign._

"Amaterasu," a voice called form behind.

_That'll work._ Amaterasu turned and saw a blue and red clad man with a blue wolf's mask. "What do you want, Oki?"

"I or rather, we need to ask you a favour," Oki said.

"'We'?" Amaterasu questioned.

"We as a tribe," Oki said. "You see, we need you to recite the Volcanic Incantation."

"What about Lika?" Amaterasu asked.

"She's been so unfocused lately, I'd be surprised if she ever remembered the incantation," Oki said.

Amaterasu sat in silence for a moment. "I can't," she finally answered.

"What?" Oki asked.

"I said, I can't," Amaterasu repeated before she turned to walk away.

Oki quickly phased to his wolf form and jumped in front of Amaterasu, blocking her path.

"Move, Oki," she said sternly.

"What is the matter with you?!" Oki shouted.

"Nothing!" she objected.

"This is not like you! Normally you'd do whatever you can to help someone! When did that change?!" he asked.

_Okay, so the 'sign' is changing._ "That's true! Normally I would so whatever I can to help someone but only if I know it's something I could actually do!"

"What are you saying? That you can't perform the incantation?"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying!"

"Ridiculous! You know the incantation and that's all it takes!"

"Listen Oki! The eruption of Ezofuji is a method of countering the Day of Darkness! And on the Day of Darkness, the sun is shrouded in shadows and evil! If this happens to the sun, what do you think would happen to the sun god?!" Amaterasu shouted.

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

Amaterasu groaned. "How dense are you?! _I_ am the Sun God! And being what I am, I don't have the power to fight the Day of Darkness!"

Oki stood in silence for a moment. "You're a god?"

"It's about time, Amaterasu sighed. "Every hundred years, the sun becomes shrouded in darkness and, being the sun god, I share the same fate. As soon as darkness takes over, it begins to destroy the sun and so I only have minutes after the darkness sets to create a new sun behind the first. After this short moment passes, the darkness takes over me and I enter a deep slumber.

"Twenty-four houses later, when the darkness fully consumes the sun, it leaves, allowing the new sun to shine and end the Day of Darkness. With the new sun shining down, I also regain my energy and awaken.

"Only this year, I fear I don't have enough power left to create a new sun and if I don't, the original sun will be consumed and I will enter my slumber. Since there is no new sun to reenergize me, I won't wake. I will perish and the world will follow, for without a sun, nothing can survive."

Oki was stunned with shock.

"The Day of Darkness is in three days. In three days, the world will end and I can't stop it," Amaterasu said.

"There's nothing we can do? No way to replenish your power?" Oki asked.

Amaterasu looked at him for a moment, trying to decipher if the sympathy in Oki's voce was for her or just for the fact that he too would die with the rest of the world. "There's nothing we can do. All that's left is to live out the rest of our lives as happily as our fates will allow. And that puts me here. Do I board the Ark of Yamato to spend my last three days with the celestial and other gods?" _and Waka,_ she added silently. "Or do I go to the Wawku shrine to transform and live in this world as a human." _With you. It's a choice between two loves and not an easy choice to make._

Oki seemed torn. Almost as if he didn't know what to say. "What do you mean by transform?" he finally asked.

"The Wawku Shrine is the reason behind the nature of the Oina Tribe. It's because of it that you can phase between a human and a wolf so if I go there, I can become human too," Amaterasu explained.

"You can become human…" Oki mumbled to himself. He was silent for a moment before saying, "I think you should go to the Wawku Shrine."

"What?" _Did he just say that he wants me to stay?_

"oh, um… all I mean is, you should spend your last few days doing something you've never done before, assuming you've never been human before," he stuttered.

"No, I've never been human." _He wants me to stay._

"The go to the shrine. I'll take you there," Oki said.

Amaterasu turned her back to him. If wolves could blush, her face would be red. She looked to the ark and thought, _I'm sorry Waka. I'm staying here. I've been given a sign. He's here, you're not._


	2. Ch 2 Mixed Signals

Disclaimer: I do not own Okami or any of its characters.

As Amaterasu walked with Oki, she couldn't help but notice his gaze fall on her every few minutes.

"I'm trying to picture you as a human but I can't," Oki said.

"Well I'm not sure what to expect either but if you look at you, your colors as a wolf are the same as your mask," Amaterasu said.

"So your mask will be red and white," Oki said.

"No, I don't think I'll have a mask since I don't have one now but I might keep the same general colours," Amaterasu said.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Oki said.

_I don't understand it. This is so unlike Oki. He's being so sweet and sensitive. Why is he acting like this? _Amaterasu thought.

As they made their way to the top of Ezufoji, where the shrine waited, Amaterasu pointed out Itegami's constellation.

"So this is the constellation of the god of blizzard?" Oki said.

"Mhm, I restored this constellation and Itegami gave me access to his power," Amaterasu said.

"I still can't believe you're a god, Amaterasu," Oki said.

"Yeah, I'm glad I have someone to talk to now," Amaterasu smiled.

"Well we're here now," Oki said. "What now?"

"I'm not sure," Amaterasu said. She stepped up to the shrine and thought for a moment. All was still until she was engulfed in light.

"Amaterasu!" Oki shouted. Still in his wolf form, he jumped to her and tried to pull her away only to have her vanish before his eyes. He stood in silence as he took in all that just happened. "Amaterasu..."

Just then, the same light appeared a few feet away from Oki. When it dimmed, Amaterasu's human form was revealed. Her hair was very long and white. She wore a red and white kimono and bared the same red markings on her body that she had as a wolf. She was beautiful.

"Amaterasu?" Oki mumbled before phasing back to his human form and stepping towards her.

"Well? How do I look?" Amaterasu asked.

"Beau- uh... what does it matter," he snapped.

_Well, the old Oki's back_. "I guess we should head back to Kamui," Amaterasu said.

~*~

Back at Kamui, Ammy stood before the ark once more.

"Well, I'm leaving," Oki said and took off without another word.

"Goodbye," Amaterasu mumbled. Amaterasu turned as she heard a noise come from the ark.

"Ah, there's nothing like the end of a long journey."

"Waka!" Amaterasu shouted when she saw the blond prophet step onto the rainbow bridge.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Waka asked.

"Oh, it's me, Amaterasu. I used the power of the Wawku shrine to transform," Amaterasu said.

"Ah, I should've expected that a young woman as beautiful as this could be none other than Amaterasu," Waka said as he touched her cheek.

"Thank you," Amaterasu blushed. Her blush deepened when she realized that Waka could see her blush now. _Great I'm getting too many signs and they're all mixed signals! _"So what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just travelling again. I love this place. Would you like to walk with me?" Waka asked.

"I'd love to," Amaterasu smiled.

They'd only taken two steps before Issun came bouncing in.

"Oh no. It's the half-baked prophet again," he groaned.

"It's good to see you again, Issun," Waka said.

"I don't suppose that, being a prophet, you'd know where Ammy is? She was moping around here when I went to Ponc'tan but when I came back, she was gone," Issun said. "When I find that fur ball, I'll rip every fluff of fur off her head!"

Amaterasu covered her head and ears with her hands, trying to protect her hair from Issun.

"Oh!" Issun bounced over to Amaterasu and landed on her shoulder. "Aren't you pretty."

"Uh, Issun?" Waka said.

"Shush," Issun snapped. "I'm a little busy."

"Issun, it's me. Ammy," Amaterasu said.

"Ammy?!" Issun shouted.

"Long story short, I'm human thanks to the Wawku Shrine," Amaterasu explained.

"Amaterasu, my I speak with you alone for a moment?" Waka asked.

"Issun?" Amaterasu said.

"Fine! Just ditch me again," Issun shouted before bouncing away again.

"Hey! Who was it that ditched who?!" Amaterasu shouted after him.

"Let him be," Waka said as he took Amaterasu's hand and began to walk.

"So, um... what did you want to talk to me about?" Amaterasu asked.

"The Day of Darkness is coming again, huh," Waka said.

Amaterasu lowered her eyes.

"And judging by your reaction, it's the final Day of Darkness," he said.

Amaterasu jumped at his words. "How?"

"I'm a celestial, Amaterasu. Of course I would know," he said. "I figured this was the time since you've decided to become human."

"Oki convinced me. He said I should do something I never have before," Amaterasu said.

"You told Oki?"

"Um... yeah. I needed someone to talk to but I knew I couldn't trust Issun and you weren't around. He's the only one who knows," Amaterasu said.

"Well, I'm here now and I won't leave unless you want me to," Waka smiled.

Amaterasu blushed again but turned away from him this time.

"So you've got three days to experience your greatest desires. What would you like to do?"

_Truthfully, I'd like to be able to make a decision. I truly care for both you and Oki but I don't know who I truly love,_ Amaterasu thought.

"Amaterasu?" Waka asked.

"I'd just like to spend some time with you," she answered quickly. _Maybe that'll help make a decision. I spent a wonderful morning with Oki and had a great time... up until the end. So, we'll see of this evening goes._

~*~

Amaterasu and Waka had been walking through Kamui, talking. When they reached the center of town, Kai and Lika came up to them.

"Amaterasu, I just wanted you to know that we have an extra bed you can sleep in if you'd like to stay with us," Kai said.

"Okay," Amaterasu said. "Wait, how did you know it was me?"

"Oki told us," Kai said.

"How much did he tell you?" Amaterasu asked with worry.

"Just that. He said the Wawku Shrine turned you human and that's the reason why we can change," Kai explained.

"Oh, well thank you for letting me stay with you. I'll come in, in a minute," Amaterasu smiled. She turned to Waka when the sisters left and said, "I thought he told them I was a god," with a relieved sigh.

"I wonder if telling him was really such a good idea," Waka said. "He's such a cold-hearted beast," Waka said.

"Hey, I know I can trust Oki," Amaterasu said.

"If you think so."

"Well it's getting late. I had a wonderful time, Waka." Amaterasu gave him a hug before turning to Kai's house.

"Good night, love," Waka whispered before walking away.

_Love?_ Amaterasu made her way to Kai's house and knocked on the door.

"Come on in," Kai smiled as she opened the door.

Amaterasu walked in and followed Kai to her bed. Lika was already fast asleep.

"Good night, Amaterasu," Kai smiled.

"Good night." Amaterasu lay down and thought carefully. _My times with Oki and Waka are almost identical. It was wonderful up until the end. Oki turned cold and Waka turned rude. Oki may seem cold-hearted but I saw a side of him today that could outshine even the most generous person. Waka has no right to judge Oki without seeing that side._

_Then another similarity is how they both showed adoration for me in some way. Waka called me 'love'. That speaks for itself. Oki was a little more indirect but the way he said I should stay and that he'd take me to the shrine, I know he didn't want me to leave. What do I do? I guess I need a female opinion. I'll have to talk to Kai tomorrow._

As Amaterasu tried to shut down all thought, she couldn't help but picture Waka's face in her mind. She tried to envision Oki, only to realize that she'd never really seen his face, only his mask

~*~

The next morning, Amaterasu woke to Lika jumping on her stomach. "Good morning, Lika," she said breathlessly.

"Morning Ammy!" Lika giggled.

"Lika, that's not very nice," Kai said as she picked Lika up off Amaterasu's stomach.

"Oh, it's okay," Amaterasu smiled.

"I'm going out to play!" Lika shouted as she ran outside.

"Oh, but Lika! You've got to perform the volcanic incantation today!" Kai shouted after her but she was already gone. "Oh know, if she doesn't perform the incantation before The Day of Darkness, we'll all die.

_You won't survive long even if she does,_ Amaterasu thought. She began to wonder why Kai hadn't brought up the possibility of Amaterasu performing the incantation. Could it be possible that Oki's asking wasn't a joint effort of the whole tribe but rather a lone act from him? "Do you know anyone else who could do it?" she asked.

"We don't know anyone else who knows the incantation," Kai said.

_So it's true. Oki is the only one who knows that I know the incantation. No one else would've asked him to talk to me unless they knew about me knowing the incantation. And if one of the other tribe members knew, they would all know by now. _"Oh why does it have to be so hard?!" Amaterasu moaned.

"What is it?" Kai asked, a little confused as to why Amaterasu was acting this way.

"I just don't know what to do, Kai. I'm stuck between two..." Amaterasu paused. "Loves."

"Oh," Kai said. "I think I know who these two men are."

"What?!" Amaterasu shouted.

"Well, I assume the blond man you were with is one," Kai said.

"Yes, his name is Waka," Amaterasu admitted.

"And the other is Oki, right?"

"Oh!" Amaterasu said, startled. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not to most, but to me it is. I know Oki well and, though it's a subtle change, you can see in his behaviour that he cares for you."

"It wasn't so subtle yesterday. When he took me to the Wawku shrine, he was so sweet."

"Normally I wouldn't believe it, but with you, I do."

Amaterasu smiled. "What about Waka? How do suspect him?"

"When I saw you two last night, the way he looked at you showed great... adoration. He truly cares for you too."

"Yeah, do you see why it's so difficult now?"

"Yes. I think your best plan would be to set a marker. Like, say, the first of the two to tell you that you look beautiful or the first to help you make a really hard decision."

"Well, Waka called me beautiful last night and Oki helped me make a hard decision."

"Okay, then they won't work. Maybe the first to say they love you. And not and interpretation. They have to say those three words. I. Love. You."

"But Oki will never say that," Amaterasu said.

"If he doesn't say it, then that means it's not true or he doesn't love you enough to say it," Kai smiled. Trust me, this _will_ work."

"Okay," Amaterasu shrugged.

~*~

Sorry for the really slow update. School's partly the reason but mainly I just haven't been motivated to write. First I was writing my novels and now I'm writing my fanficts as I break from my novels. I've been writing a couple short stories that I posted on .com. Check them out if you have time, they're under the same author name as this account. I'll try to get the next chapter up within a couple of days because it's already written; I just have to type it out. Happy reading!


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